Engineering Commencement
In the past few weeks, Killian Court has undergone a transformation in preparation for MIT’s 146th Commencement: Shrubs have been planted, the grass meticulously mowed, nearly 14,000 chairs precisely aligned, and a stage — to be crossed by some 2,500 graduates — built and reinforced. On Friday, the riverside courtyard will teem with more than 10,000 guests: families and friends who will travel from near and far to watch their graduate receive a hard-earned diploma. MIT’s graduation ceremony, much like Killian Court itself, has evolved over the years to accommodate new traditions and a growing student population.This year will mark the 90th time that MIT has upheld what is perhaps its most ambitious Commencement tradition: handing graduates their personal diplomas as they walk across the stage. Prior to this practice, graduates simply picked their diplomas from a basket onstage, a procedure described as more of a “scramble,” according to an...